Blast Hole Drilling

The operation of drilling production blast holes in an open pit mine to the specifications required by the blast design, including correct diameter, depth, inclination, and positional accuracy. Blast hole drilling is a critical production activity on the mining schedule, with drilling capacity determining the rate at which blasted material is made available for excavation. Drill performance is measured by rate of penetration, bit life, and pattern conformance. In hard rock iron ore and gold mines, blast hole drilling is a high-cost and time-sensitive activity.